


even in another universe, you are my home

by Redwatermelon



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae is Whipped, M/M, Reincarnation, angel juyeon, devil hyunjae, i think, it all works out in the end, kevin and hwall are twins, the rest of the members only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28386798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redwatermelon/pseuds/Redwatermelon
Summary: Angels and devils have been living separated from each other ever since the very beginning, but two very different beings ended up in each other's arms nonetheless.
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon
Comments: 18
Kudos: 65





	even in another universe, you are my home

**Author's Note:**

> So.. I never really planned on writing any angst, but staying up until 3 am listening to sad songs have made me got into this sad/angsty mood, and somehow it has spiraled down to whatever this is. Hope you enjoy!

One time, in a faraway place up in the sky, two strikingly different places were facing each other, close but not quite touching. Angels and Devils have been living separated their entire lives, with a dangerous thorn forest as a border between them. They were both living in harmony in their own ways, but one particular incident happened that shook all their worlds to the ground. 

It all started with a young angel with soft blue hair and a cat-like smile. He was one of the purest of them all, always filled with so much love to give, and never tired to help the ones in need. Needless to say, he is so well-loved by his peers and the elders, always looking out after him in any ways possible. You would always find him smiling, flying through the sky to spread more love and happiness, making the others automatically smile just at the mere sight of him. 

But one thing about him is, he can be really innocent. And too kind. And too curious for his own good. After that one incident of him choking because Kevin joked that the small peach seeds can be swallowed whole, and when he almost made himself visible to the humans because he was curious and tried to touch a human, the angels, especially his close friends, always make sure to keep a good eye on him, both up close or from afar, to make sure he's not getting into trouble. 

But for one period of time, the heaven was busy. The earth was quite hectic, and there was almost no time to rest, especially for the guardian angels that have to protect the humans from literally chopping their heads off by getting rammed by a car. Some of his closest friends are apart of the guardian angels, going back and forth between the heaven and the earth, but he himself isn't. His job mainly consist of making humans happy, delivering daily doses of happiness across a few towns and settled down a few fights. So when he's done with his job and went back to heavens, he's pretty much unguarded. 

That day was exactly like that. He was done delivering some doses of happiness and lifted some sadness from some humans, and went back to the heavens to report his work. He wanted to call out to his best friend, Kevin, or his close hyung, Younghoon, or his energetic flying partners Eric and Haknyeon to play with him, but none of them were available. Younghoon and Eric are both guardian angels with a packed schedule, and Kevin and Haknyeon were out with a few other angels to help save some animals from a burning forest, leaving him sitting in the middle of the gardens all alone. 

The heaven's gardens are beautiful, with different patches containing different flowers and colorful fruit trees. And from there, you can get a clear vision of a certain black wall looming high. The border between the heaven and the hell. The thorn forest. 

He has heard of the stories the elder said about that particular forest. 'The Forest of Misery' was what they called it. It was full of dark mist and screams and blood, with no way to navigate your surroundings except for the blood red lights. He is also aware of how it's mainly hell's territory, because of their large, black wings that could shield their bodies against the thorns, unlike angels' wings that is so soft and vulnerable. He is aware of all of that, but he is still the innocent, kind, and curious boy, so he decided to go closer to the borders just to quench his curiosity. 

The opening of the forest was so tempting, as if it has answers waiting for him on the other side of the forest. It had such a dark aura around it, and he felt goosebumps dancing on his skin even without him entering the thick family of thorns and vines. As he stood outside of the entrance for a few more seconds, that's when he heard it. 

The whispers. So faint yet so clear. The cries. So far yet so near. The _screams._

The one voice in his head was telling him to run, that it's not his territory, but his angel instincts were shaking. There's someone inside there, needing someone's help, _his_ help. It's his job as an angel to help someone, to make them happy. But it's still somehow Hell's territory, would he be fine? Would he be killed? With those thoughts running in his head, he took the first step, and went in through the entrance.

He regretted it after he was inside, as the voices grew stronger and the shivers passing along his skin grew bolder. He dared himself to step further, even when his legs were shaking, even when his lips were trembling, he pushed through. That is, until he felt the first scrape of thorns on his leg. He gasped, looking down where blood was dripping, both from his leg and his torn wings. He resisted the urge to cry, and thought for a second that it was better to go back after all, to the safety of soft clouds and the warmth of the sun, but then the plea was heard again, and so he continued.

"H-hello?" He dared himself to speak. He's not sure if they could hear him, he's not sure how deep the forest was, yet he kept walking, now wincing with every step as he felt more scratches being printed on his skin. He felt like giving up, tears started running down his cheeks as he sniffled quietly. He really shouldn't have gone in, he's still young and inexperienced and so useless to even think about helping the people in Hell, and now he didn't even remember the way he came in. He's lost.

He found a small clearing where there weren't too many thorns, and so he limped there, sitting in the middle. The ground was so dry and rocky, unlike the soft clouds in Heaven. This is not yet in Hell, how far worse is that place? Even in this forest that separated Heaven and Hell, he could not feel any parts of Heaven seeping in. Only Hell. Only sadness and pain and suffering. A part of him hated the small voice in his heart that pitied the devils and demons and all the sinful humans that have to live in such a place, yet he couldn't help it. He felt sad for them.

His train of thoughts were interrupted as he heard sounds. Not voices, not anymore, just sounds of footsteps and the light crunch of stepping on thorns. For a second he was hopeful. Maybe it's someone who'll help him? But then he was pulled back into reality. That was no longer Heaven, only Hell. The person who's currently coming towards him must be either a demon or a devil.

He braced himself for anything, keeping his eyes open wide and hugged his knees closer to his chest. Yet when a head made an appearance through the thick thorn bushes, he immediately cried, biting his bottom lip to prevent too much of a sound from coming out.

"An angel?" The head spoke, now revealing a lean body with black strong wings covering it. He was tall and big, wearing all black clothes and shoes, the black wings splayed elegantly on his back. His body was not scratched, not one scar nor scratch was on him as the wings protected him from all of the thorns. In other words, he looks strong, and scary, and definitely dangerous that Juyeon found himself shaking just by his mere presence. He scooted backwards, tears dripping to land on the cracked grounds as the devil walked towards him. 

"P-please, I-I'm so s-sorry, don't k-kill me..," he pleaded, eyes so blurry and shaky it could barely focus on anything. 

The devil didn't say anything for a solid moment, partly because his devil side loves seeing people in pain or fear, but mainly because he was completely taken aback that an angel would even dare to step feet inside the forest. It was a young boy, with dark blue hair and white torn fabric pooling around him like a halo. His body was small and slender like how most angels look like, soft skin torn by the thorns and broken wings on his back. 

"Name," he simply said, now a feet away from the still sitting angel who was leaning onto a big rock, trembling furiously as he cried more and more.

"J-Ju- *hic* J-Ju-yeon," he said in between his sobs and hiccups. His already fear stricken eyes grew more panicked as the devil squatted down to be eye level with him. He shut his eyes, bracing himself for a shot of pain, a hand, a hit, anything, yet all he heard was another soft voice.

"Hyunjae," the devil said. It took Juyeon a few seconds to realize that it's his name. The devil's introducing himself to him, an angel.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking at him with sniffles still racking his body. He nodded in acknowledgement, knees tucked under his chin.

"You know this is stupid, right? You could've died either from loss of blood or from a devil like me finding you out," the tears were like waterfalls now, spilling nonstop to land on his white overalls. His mind wandered to whatever's waiting for him in a place he's never seen before, and he felt like fainting right there and then. He shook his head desperately to the devil, his legs too weak to even stand and attempt an escape.

Hyunjae sighed. Can't be helped, a devil really is a creature feared by anyone. With one swift move, he lifted the much smaller boy off the ground, and before he could even let out a shriek, set him back down in between his legs. He wrapped his arms around the small figure, and that's when Juyeon screamed, flailing his hands around to try and escape.

"L-let go! Please I-I don't want to die- I-I'm not gonna come back- just-,"

"Shut up for a second, kid," Hyunjae said, his wings closing around them like a black shield. He examined every inch of the angel's body, red blood contrasting with the soft white material. His wings were all torn and broken, splayed flat on his chest to give as much space between them.

"Damned angels, so weak," he muttered under his breath, giving one fleeting touch to one of the scars on his arm. Juyeon twitched, looking at the part he just touched, now having more blood smeared around it. After a few seconds of staring at the said wound, however, his mouth fell open, as he saw the wound stitching itself back up. He looked back and forth between his arm and Hyunjae in surprise and confusion, and the next second he looked at his arm, the wound's fully gone, only leaving a smear of blood around it.

"Y-you- you're not gonna- *hic* k-kill me?" He asked through his hiccups. Hyunjae raised an eyebrow, still scanning other parts of his body.

"What, you want me to kill you now?" He said nonchalantly, pressing a few fingertips to a particularly deep gash near his ribcage. He let out a small, adorable squeak that made Hyunjae's heart clench, a feeling he hasn't felt since he became a devil. Juyeon shook his head jerkily, glancing at his ribs to see the gash slowly healing, and finally let himself relax just the slightest bit. Seems like he's not gonna die. Not today, at least. 

They sat there for another moment, with Hyunjae pressing soft touches all over his scars and Juyeon relaxing more and more into the broad figure. As Hyunjae moved to examine the wings- the last and the most difficult to heal- he couldn't help a scoff escaping his lips as he saw the angel fully resting his head on his chest. His body was not as tense as before, if he dare say, almost completely relaxing, as if Hyunjae's not a devil who could kill him at any moment.

"Aren't you a brave little angel, looking so relaxed leaning onto a devil," he said, pushing him off a bit to gather the wings in his hands. Juyeon hummed, letting the devil trace his fingertips along his wings' frame.

"But you seem nice," Hyunjae snorted, fingers faltering for a millisecond from their place. 

"I'm a devil, boy. I can't be 'nice',"

"But you're healing me right now," Juyeon said, eyes fluttering shut as he felt the tingly feeling all over his body from the elder's soft touches. Hyunjae huffed, using his fingertips to grow a few feathers on one bleeding spot.

"We use this method to heal humans after we torture them," Hyunjae said, looking for other injured spots. "So after their skin is healed and they're whole, we can torture them all over again,"

He huffed out a laugh as he saw a shudder passing through the fragile body, but he knew he wouldn't know what 'torture' exactly is. In Heaven there's a rule: 'no violence, only love', while in Hell was almost the complete opposite. That's just how they were taught in their opposite worlds. He released the wings from his hands, examining it with some sort of satisfaction.

"There," he said, leaning back onto the rock. "As good as new," Juyeon curled his wings, examining it from left to right to find no tears nor scratches, just smears of blood here and there, peeking through soft skin and white materials. He looked back to his savior, flashing him the sweetest smile Hyunjae had ever seen.

"Thank you," Hyunjae scoffed, such good manners being directed to a devil.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, now go home-," his words were cut short as Juyeon fell back onto his chest, snuggling comfortably into him. His hands flexed on his side, not used to any form of skinship except for the harsh ones that will leave gashes for him to admire later on.

"Boy," he said, voice as menacing as he could muster. Juyeon barely blinked, just looked up at him curiously.

"Yes?"

"Get off,"

"Why?"

"Why- what? Are you innocent or are you just stupid? I'm a devil, you idiot," Juyeon hummed, refusing to move from his spot.

"But you're a nice one,"

"Once again, I'm a devil, I'm not nice. I torture people for a living, not helping them bringing their groceries across the street,"

"Then why didn't you torture me?" Juyeon asked. "I'm an angel, you could've easily killed me,"

"Because I don't want to,"

"Why?"

"Can't you stop with the questions?" He growled. "You're supposed to fear me, not just asking questions why I decided to break my rules to save an angel like you while leaning so comfortably on my chest!"

"But you are comfortable," Juyeon said, not impressed by the harshness and now fiddled with one of his black feathers. "Wow, so thick. I wish our wings are also like this,"

"Stop that," Hyunjae tsked, opening his wings wider so they're out of his reach. "It's time for you to go,"

"If I walk through the thorns again it'll tear me apart," he said with a pout, touching the dried blood on his arm. "Plus, I don't know the way back,"

"Ahhhh why are you so-," Innocent? Troublesome? Clumsy? He's not sure which one described the boy best at the situation, so he opted on letting out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine, fine! I'll accompany you to the gates. Happy now?" 

The question was meant to be somewhat sarcastic, but Juyeon took it too literally and nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Yep!" Hyunjae groaned, standing up while pulling Juyeon up by the arm. He curled his wings once again so they're both shielded from the thorns ready to attack them, and trudged into the thick forest.

"The angels won't let you wander again, you know that?" Hyunjae said, moving one of his wings to get rid of a vine in front of them.

"Why not?"

"You're covered in blood,"

"Mm I suppose so," he hummed. "But the heaven's busy these days. No one will notice. Hopefully," 

Hyunjae could only sigh, walking them through the last corner. He could see the light shining in and knew the Heaven's only a few steps away.

"We're almost there," he announced. "Once you're out of here, don't ever tell anyone about what happened,"

"Why not?"

"An angel and a devil aren't supposed to meet up like this, kid. I'm not supposed to help anyone, either, especially an angel like you,"

"But I can't lie,"

"If you just act like usual no one would question it, therefore you're technically not lying. It's not a sin to keep a secret in Heaven, is it?" Juyeon pondered about it for a second before shaking his head.

"Never heard of that rule,"

"Great," 

Once they're on the border of the forest and the Heaven, Hyunjae pushed him lightly, urging him to the exit. Juyeon gladly stepped outside, taking a deep inhale of finally being able to see the light after being trapped in the blood-red forest.

"Remember, don't tell anyone, and don't come back ever again," Hyunjae warned, though his heart did some sort of a pang at the thought of not being able to see the little angel again. 

"I won't tell anyone," he promised. "But why can't I come back?"

"Kid," Hyunjae grunts, massaging his temples. "Which part of 'this is not a place for you' do you not understand? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"I want to see you again," Juyeon said.

"I don't,"

"Please?"

"No,"

"I will still come back tomorrow," he grinned, already walking away from him. "Please pick me up, then! I'll bring some flowers as a thank you!" 

"Hey! Our discussion is not over! Ughhhh," He groaned, wanting to pull at his hair as Juyeon was already too far to hear him. He trudged back into the forest, muttering curses about how the angel's so annoying and so cocky. _No. Don't get swept away, Hyunjae, you can just not come tomorrow. Yes. Exactly. Let him stand there and be sad about you not coming to get him. Great idea. ___

____

____

But why, oh why, the next day he found himself in the same clearing with the same little angel in between his legs all over again? 

"Oh, oh! And then Kevin told me-," 

"Wait, pause," he cut him off, making the angel look up at him curiously. "Why are you here again?" 

"To hang out with you," the answer was simple and so genuine it made Hyunjae's heart clench painfully in his chest. 

"And why is that?" 

"Because you're nice. And comfortable," he said, leaning into him to emphasize his statement. "And this place is quiet with you here. It's kinda comfortable. It's fun to have a secret place for you only, you know?" 

_No, I don't,_ was what he tried to say, but when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was a low sigh, and then he found himself leaning forwards, capturing the angel more in his arms. 

"So what did Kevin tell you again?" He asked, and the sparkle in the angel's eyes almost made him smile. Almost. 

"So Kevin told me that he apparently has a twin in hell," 

"Oh?" Hyunjae perked up at that. "Who's the name?" 

"Hwall. Do you know him?" 

"Oh," he breathed out. "Oh, yeah, I know. He's one of my underlings," 

"Oh! Is it possible to make them-," 

"You're crazy, of course not," Hyunjae cut him off immediately. "And before you ask why, you innocent little creature, it is because a devil an an angel aren't meant to interact so friendly with each other. I am not risking a war happening between the two parties just because of such a simple matter," Juyeon pouted, but he nodded, knowing that what Hyunjae said is true. 

"It's good that we can be friendly with each other then, right?" Juyeon grinned, his earlier pout disappearing in an instance. Hyunjae wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness. How did he find himself being this close with the angel anyways? 

"Hey," 

"Yes?"

"Will you also come here tomorrow?" The smile the younger sent him at that question was so bright that Hyunjae wondered if that's how the sun looks outside of hell. The answer's settled then. 

*********************************

Their meetups would continue for the longest time, and before they both knew it, it had become sort of a routine for them. Hyunjae would finish whatever's need to be done in hell, same goes to Juyeon, and then the devil would come to the entrance of the forest to pick up the angel in between his wings. They would go into the small clearing and just talk until their time limit ends, and then Hyunjae would take him back before going back to his own place. 

It would be a lie if he said they haven't grown more comfortable with each other in those times. The skinships he wasn't used to would almost happen every day, that now he can just wrap his arms around the younger without giving it more thought. He also started talking more, telling things from his perspective, and would cherish the smile coming from Juyeon the longer he talks. 

That day, they were there like usual, Juyeon wrapped in between his legs, but he seemed way hyper than usual. Hyunjae sighed, facepalming himself and leaned back onto the rock as Juyeon was still talking about his experiences in earth. Don't get him wrong, he doesn't mind listening to the angel talking, but not for _that_ long.

"Can't you quiet down for a second?" He asked finally. "Like, just, take a nap or something, I don't know, whatever that doesn't require talking?" 

"I can't sleep very well," he said. "There's always something to do, time to sleep is limited, and before I knew it, it became hard for me to fall asleep anymore," 

"Really," it didn't sound like a question, because it wasn't. "When was the last time you sleep properly?" 

"Uh, I don't know, not in the past week for sure," 

"Really," he repeated, and then without further thinking, held the other closer to his chest. "Go to sleep," 

"I can't!" 

"You haven't even tried it!" Hyunjae huffed, exasperated. He let his hand fly to his hair, planting it gently there and smoothing over the messy strands. "Now sleep," 

"I can't just sleep with you doing this," Juyeon denied. 

"No, trust me, you will fall asleep in no time, if you would just do me a favor and shut up for a second and close your eyes," 

"Meanie!" 

"Sure am," Hyunjae said. "Now close your eyes and try to sleep," Juyeon huffs out a small _fine_ , leaning into his touch more and finally stopped talking for once. 

A few short minutes passed after that, and sure enough, he could feel the younger's head dozing off just to snap back up again. He chuckled lowly, pushing him to lean on his chest. 

"Just sleep," and the younger couldn't even protest anymore. His eyes slowly fell shut, snuggling into his chest more for comfort, and finally dozed off. Hyunjae didn't let up on carding his fingers through the soft blue locks, one arm keeping him steady so he wouldn't slide off his chest. 

"There you go," he chuckled. "Ugh, can't believe I got so soft for an angel, what am I thinking?" 

He let his eyes travel down the angel's small form. At how the white fabric of his overalls brushed over his snow white skin, how his eyelashes fluttered in his sleep, expression peaceful for the first time instead of his usual cheery form. 

_He is so defenseless right now,_ the voice in his inner mind spoke. _I can just attack him. Maybe do something sinful to him, make him lose his purity. Or I can just kill him. He won't feel any pain in his sleep._

He felt blood rushing to his eyes, coloring it red as he looked at the young boy like he's a prey. He's in a trance, with his devilish side threating to take over, to _kill-_

His hand stopped right before he touched his neck, as if something invisible was stopping him from doing so no matter how hard he tried to persist. Before he could do anything further, Juyeon shifted in his sleep with a quiet whine, snuggling into him more, and he quickly broke from his trance. The color drained from his eyes, and he dropped his hand immediately, embracing the other closer to him. 

_I can't,_ he realized. _Why can't I kill him?_

The answer lied somewhere near, in the depth of his heart and in between the little space available between their bodies. He doesn't want to acknowledge it, yet he knew it is true. He sighed.

"I'm so screwed," 

***********************************

"Have you tried this?" Hyunjae opened his eyes at the sudden question, drowning out the other calls in his heads from the humans in repent. The boy was glancing up at him, small hands holding some sort of small red round thing.

"What's that?"

"We call it cherries," he said, twirling the two connected fruits in between his fingers. "The taste's funny, sweet but a bit sour, but I like it,"

"You brought a thing from the heavens _here_?" he asked, though he is far past the stages of surprise and disbelief. After witnessing the little angel bringing his favorite books and his little white pet bird (which, Hyunjae had to restrain himself so much to not kill it out of instinct, if anyone's wondering) to the thorn forest, the small strange fruit was the least of his worries. 

"Uh-huh," he nodded, eager as usual. "Wanna try?" Hyunjae wanted to say no, simply because he does not see the benefit for him to try such a thing, but Juyeon's looking at him with those eyes. Big, sparkly doe eyes that he is begrudgingly weak for, as if he _needs_ him to try it, and as usual, he could only sigh and nod, the sweet smile coming from the younger the only thing that matters for him. 

He plucked one of the fruit offered to him and threw it into his mouth. As soon as he bit into it, sweet juice bursts from the core and flooded his tongue with a taste he had never tried before, not even when he's on the earth. His surprise must be visible somehow, because the angel's smile got wider, as if he got the answer just by looking at his face. He leaned back onto his chest, then, munching the others in the bunch happily. 

"I'll bring more for you some other time," he said, and Hyunjae didn't bother warning him not to because he simply knows it'll be useless. "Aren't there anything like this in hell? We still have fruits called peaches and strawberries there. I don't really like peaches, they're hard,"

"That's because you picked the wrong ones," Hyunjae said, remembering the hard peaches he once had because his sister decided to hog all the soft ones. "There are soft peaches, just ask your elders to pick them for you, it tastes good once you don't have to sacrifice a tooth eating them. And as for your question, yes we do. Apples, durians, lemons.. hit or miss stuff, I don't really eat them,"

"Can I try them?"

"Sure,"

"Really!?" 

"What, you think I'm gonna refuse free disposal of those hellish fruits? Of course not," that earned him a small whack on his thigh, with the younger pouting up at him. 

"Meanie,"

"Of course, I am a devil," 

Juyeon's pout got deeper, and he huffed before settling right back on his chest, like it's his home. Hyunjae tried to ignore how his heart almost skipped a beat at the thought.

"Stop pouting,"

"Why? You said you're a devil, doesn't that mean you'd like to see people sad?" Juyeon said sulkily, with that bratty little tone Hyunjae used to hear in a seven-year-old. He found it somehow endearing. He sighed, planting one big hand on his head and hesitantly ruffles his hair. 

"But not you," 

The angel perked up at that, bright eyes flitting up at him like he just found a treasure. Hyunjae would believe that he indeed did, because it's not often you'd found a devil muttering these kinds of things, more so to an angel.

"Hmm? What was that? You don't want to see me sad? And why is that? Ohhh do you li- ufgh,"

"Shut it right now or I won't bring you any apples next time, now go to sleep," he had brought a hand in front of his mouth to silence him, at the same time pushing him deeper into his chest. He could hear the younger's giggles underneath his palms. He took it off his mouth and gripped it in his tiny ones, before he made it circle his entire form, snuggling comfortably and closed his eyes, completely content.

"I like you too,"

And then he drifted, leaving Hyunjae smiling sadly thinking about their twisted way of fate.

***************************************

"How come I have never seen you smile?" 

He answered with his usual frown, leaning back onto the rock until he's practically slouching.

"And why would I do that? To soothe the people I torture with my sickening smile?" He answered sarcastically. Juyeon frowned back at him- his frown really started to resemble his these days- and continued nibbling on the apple he gave him. 

"But smiles are nice," he said. 

"Correction: Genuine smiles are nice. There are also things called snickers, grins, smirks- those can be translated as not as nice," 

"Then show me your genuine smile?"

"I don't have any,"

"Liar," he huffed. "By the way, the apples taste sweet. I like them,"

"Good, I'll bring you some more to get rid of those forsaken fruits. Bring me some cherries for the price,"

"Why do I have to pay you?"

"It's not paying, it's called swapping. You do like seeing me enjoying the cherries, right?" 

"I do," he nodded. "Okay, you win, but give me one smile for the price,"

"Copying me now?" He chuckled lightly without even realizing- wow, he's gone so soft for him- when Juyeon suddenly exclaimed, pointing at his face.

"There it is!" Juyeon said. "But it's not genuine enough, I can't feel it. Give me more!"

"What? No! Be grateful you even got to see that, you brat. My devil and demon friends never even saw me chuckle like that,"

"They probably do. You know, that evil villain laugh. I sometimes take a peek at kids' TVs whenever I got assigned to the earth," Hyunjae snorts, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

"Yea? And what do you think I sound like doing it?" He proceeded to put on the scariest face he could muster, which just reminded him of a cute kitten being mad, and started laughing with a fabricated deep voice, a really bad impression of a boy version of the joker. 

He really couldn't help the chuckle that passed through his lips that time, aware but didn't plan to keep it in anymore. Juyeon also laughed at the sound of his barely-there chuckles, now falling forward into his embrace like usual, face buried in his chest. 

"I can assure you I don't sound that bad while doing my evil villain laugh," 

"Meanie,"

"But you still like me,"

A sigh escaped Juyeon's lips at that, slotting himself perfectly in between his legs like he's made to be there. He nodded solemnly into the fabric of his shirt, clutching it in his fists. 

"I do like you. A lot," They had done a lot of skinship by now, so it was not unnatural for Hyunjae to wrap his arms around him, one arm around his waist and one hand on his hair, messing with the blue locks. He let the quiet atmosphere stay a bit longer, swishing them around gently as if they're on a boat in the middle of the ocean, ready to fall with one wrong move from the other side. 

"I like you too," he said after much calculation, hoping that his words would not tip the boat over. Juyeon hums, smiling into his chest, and even without looking he knew what it was. His least favorite smile. The sad smile.

"Why are we an angel and a devil? Why can't we be the same?" His voice was quiet, unlike his usual loud voice Hyunjae used to complain about. Now, he feels like he can't survive a day without hearing it at least once. 

"Fate is harsh," was his answer, because he truly did not know anything else, could not possibly know why fate had decided that it would be funny to make a devil and an angel so fond of each other to the point of involving feelings.

"I want to hold you," Juyeon whispered. "I want you to hold me, too, but why can't we?"

"I am holding you," Hyunjae said, arms tightening around him. "You are holding me, too,"

"Not like how I want you to,"

"Not like how I want to, either,"

"Then hold me,"

That one request has him pushing the angel back, looking at him with wide eyes- _scared_ eyes, he realized- the one emotion he hasn't felt in a long, long time. 

"Juyeon," he said, breath harsh. "I can't- _we_ can't, not like this,"

"Hyung," 

"Juyeon," he said, more sternly, and then almost a whisper. "I can't lose you," 

The smile on Juyeon's face wasn't happy at all. It was filled with sadness and regrets, and, for the second time since their first meeting, he's the witness of the tears spilling down his face and onto the cracked, red ground. 

"Sorry hyung," and with that, he lunged forward, taking Hyunjae by surprise as he felt his lips on his own. 

It was as light as a feather, but what's done is done. His eyes must've sparked so much sadness in them, because Juyeon just cried harder, clinging to his shoulders like he would disappear if he lets go even for one second. 

"Please," he sobs. "This- this may be the last time- I just- hold me, _please_ ,"

He wanted to be mad, he wanted to scream, wanted to tear off every thorns around them until he could see nothing but emptiness. Instead, he cursed underneath his breath, pulling him closer and slotting their lips together, hands frantic as they explore each other, wanting to remember every nook and cranny before all of it was gone. 

He could do nothing.

The boat has tipped.

**************************************

The commotion in the heavens were intense, with other angels gathering around a small angel who's kneeled up, his once white wings slowly turning grey. The council was looking down at him, eyes sad as they tried to ask once again.

"Juyeon, please be honest with us. What sin have you done?" And who was Juyeon to deny, when part of him was still the angel he used to be?

"I fell in love with a devil," he admitted eventually. "And I sealed it,"

There were gasps and murmurs all around him, but at that time he could not pay attention to them. His mind was blank, looking at the white cloud beneath his knees as if they would give him the solution he needs. 

"And who is he?"

"I-," for a second he contemplated to be honest, but soon shook his head. The thought of leaving felt painful, but just thinking about Hyunjae suffering with him felt even more miserable. "I can not tell you,"

"Juyeon," the elder, Jacob, sighs. "We really don't want to do this to you, but rules are rules, I am really sorry,"

"It's okay, hyung," he said, looking up at him for the first time and flashed him a smile. They all know it is genuine. "Cut my wings,"

Two men with fancy-looking axes came closer to him. He had witnessed this, of course, when a fallen angel would get their wings cut off, bind and helpless, laying limp onto the ground until the last of their soul leave them, and would soon be buried on wherever the elder deems fit. He recognized one of the axe bearer to be one of his close elders, Younghoon, who looked at him with tears in his eyes. 

"Why the devil, Juyeon-ah?" He questioned, voice so strained from the lump in his throat. "Why not one of us? Why not me?"

"I'm sorry, hyung," that was all he could muster at that point. "It's just how it is,"

"I could take care of you better than he does, I could make you happy, we could live happily in the heavens without worrying about a single thing. Yet you fall for a devil, who doesn't even care for you. Like, look around you, he is nowhere, Juyeon-ah, leaving you to suffer all alone-,"

"JUYEON!"

The sudden shout snapped everyone from their grief and reverie. A pair of black wings flew through the clear sky, and soon landed with a loud thud, shaking the clouds underneath him and kneeled in front of the boy, cupping his cheeks. 

"Hyung!" Juyeon gasped, surprised, trying to push him away even though all he wanted to do was to pull him closer. "You- what are you doing here- go away! They- they will-,"

"I know," he said, embracing him in his arms. "Let them,"

"Hyung-,"

"I can't leave you alone, Juyeon-ah!" His voice sounded so sad, so angry and so desperate, clinging to the younger as hard as he could. "I won't be able to live knowing you're here shouldering all of it alone. If we're gonna fall, then so be it. Let's fall together. My wings are also fading,"

He circled his wings around them, just like how he used to in every one of their meetings. Juyeon traced his fingers on the once-black feathers, now a shade of dark grey, but still large and firm, just like how he loves it, and finally lets himself melt into his embrace. 

Soon, an army of black wings filled the blue sky, landing in random places, scattered among all the other angels. This was probably the first time the whole heaven and hell was met together like this, to witness such a sad love story of two boys who can't belong.

"Hyunjae," a man in all black stepped forwards, eyes shaking, betraying the calm front he tried to put up. "Why?"

"Sangyeon-hyung," he regarded, and without a second thought, blurted out without any regrets. "Cut off my wings as well,"

"Wha- I can just _not_ do that, Hyunjae," he said. "You are my right hand man, I can just cast my magic and then you'll be whole again,"

"No, hyung, I'm sorry," he shook his head, glancing at the boy in his arms. "My life is with him now. Wherever he goes, that's my next destination. You still have Sunwoo, he will do an amazing job," 

"Hyunj-,"

"Changmin, Hwall, would you mind?" With a flick of his finger, two black axes flew to the two boys' hands, his trusted underlings that have been following him so well for ages. Their eyes flit over to each other, nodding solemnly before stepping forwards, looming over their respected brother, leader, and friend altogether. 

"Hwall," Juyeon recalled, smiling up at him with tired eyes. "Finally I can meet you. You look a lot like Kevin, indeed,"

"That's what being twins do to you, right?" he chuckled, not near mean nor mocking. 

For the first time in history, the two elders met each other's eyes in another setting other than war, both reflecting sadness of the loss of their well-loved figure in their world. Yet, they could do nothing but sigh, nodding to each other. 

Their voices were one when they read the sentence, flowing through the air in a soft thrumming that got to everyone's edges. The white clouds turn dark, and rain started falling heavily onto the earth below. 

_Lee Juyeon/ Lee Hyunjae, you are sentenced to the final penalty for contributing to such act that heavily violated what is right and what is wrong. Your wings are no longer your possession, neither is your body and your title. It will be given to those who will come next, and you will face the mortal world for ages to come._

The sharpness of the axes cut through the base of their wings, and a sharp, pained cry, filled the whole air with coldness and misery. Hyunjae hissed at the loss of his wings, body suddenly tipped forward at the shift of the center of gravity. Yet, he didn't let go, let the younger bury his face in the crook of his neck and cry out of pain. 

"Hurts- hurts..," he sobbed, fists tight on Hyunjae shirt that's starting to soak blood. 

"Shh it's gonna be over soon, stay strong for me, yeah? You can do it, Juyeon-ah, I know you can," Hyunjae coaxed him through his own pain, body twitching once in a while from the painful aftershocks. Blood was gushing out of their backs, pooling and surrounding them like a hole ready to swallow them whole. 

"Juyeon, you got one wish," Jacob interrupted them softly. "Say what you want and we'll give them to you, but you can not ask for something that plays with souls, as it is forbidden," 

Juyeon glanced up at his beloved devil with teary eyes, the only thing in his eyes was Hyunjae and Hyunjae alone that it made the devil's stomach churn. He really does like the little angel so much. He wiped some of the tears on his cheeks, pressing a loving kiss to his lips. His skin is getting paler. They don't have much time left.

"My wish," Juyeon said, only a mumble, but with the silence around them, it was heard as clear as day. "Can devils and angels get along?"

His wish resulted in soft sobs from some of the angels and gaping mouth from the devils. The purest of them all. The one who only wants to share his love all around, including the ones totally opposite from them. Now, his love belongs to Hyunjae only, and the older one accepted the fact with an open heart. 

"We can't promise that," Jacob said, voice shaking just the slightest bit. "Not everyone will want to accept that so suddenly, but we can find an alternative. How about changing our border into something more harmless? We don't have to get along, but if we can go in and out of the border with no harm, we can interact more with each other if we want or need to. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds good," Juyeon smiled, satisfied with the deal, and looked up at Hwall who was still standing near. "Use the chance, Kevin missed you," and the little devil didn't even try to hold back his tears. 

"Well done," Hyunjae said, feeling more of his consciousness taken away from him. "It's time for you to sleep now,"

"Hyung," he tugged on his collar to get his attention, and Hyunjae looked down on him, both their eyes on the verge of closing shut. 

"Yes?"

"Can I ask for a last wish from you?"

"Of course," he answered, never having any chance on refusing the angel. _His_ angel. "What is it?"

"Can I see your smile?" he asked. "I want to see it at least once before we're gone,"

He could feel his heart clenching, squeezing every last drop of blood out of him, along with some drops of tears from his usually dry eyes. That earned him a tired smile out of Juyeon, wiping his tears away with his small hands. 

"Not cry, hyung, smile, like this," he widened his own smile, much like the one Hyunjae's so used to seeing every single day. His heart belonged to his angel and his angel only, and he could not form any words of denial, any spats of sarcastic words to refuse. He could never. 

And so he smiled. 

He watched as the younger's eyes sparkled with unfiltered joy, the reflection in his tears were all of Hyunjae's genuine smile directed to him and for him only. The reflections slowly died down as his eyes fluttered closed, and he rested his head on Hyunjae's shoulder, a peaceful smile sewn across his face. 

"Your smile is very pretty," he said, voice barely heard anymore through all the sobs around them. "I love your smile, hyung, I love it a lot. I love you a lot,"

"I love you too, I love you so much," Hyunjae confessed, voice cracking through his tears. He placed the last kiss on his forehead, and Juyeon hummed before falling completely still in his embrace. Peaceful, at last.

He held him tighter as the last bits of consciousness left him, tears flowing freely as he held Juyeon in his arms. He rested his chin on his shoulder, body slumping, void of all energy. When he finally closed his eyes, he did so with his lips pressed tight to his scalp, a small smile on his lips and a silent whisper on the tip of his tongue. 

_Sleep tight, my angel._

**A few decades later, on earth**

"Do you remember how you got your scars?" Asked a man with red hair, tracing his lover's naked back who's currently sitting in between his legs. 

"Which scars?" The latter asked, drawing patterns on the other's lean legs. "You know I have so many scars, be specific, Juyeon-ah," 

"The ones on your back," Juyeon said, leaving kisses all around his shoulders. 

"Oh, my drunkard father carved them into my skin when I was young," he said lightly as if talking about the weather. It made the other tense up behind him, arms holding him tighter around the waist. 

"Sorry, Hyunjae-hyung," he mumbled. 

"What for? It's fine, it's already so long ago, and that man is in jail for the rest of his life. Nothing to worry about," he brushed him off with a light huff. "What about yours?" 

"Mine? I don't know. My mom said it was already there when I was born?" He hummed in thought, hands unconsciously touching his back where his scars rest. 

"Do you think the universe is trying to tell us something?" Hyunjae asked. 

"What do you mean?"

"We have matching scars on our backs looking like a pair of wings just got chopped off, Juyeon-ah, it can't be just some coincidence that we met each other," the latter said, leaning onto his chest. 

"Mm that's true. What do you think it means, then? That we're soulmates?" He smiled, kissing his lover's forehead. 

"You sweet ass, I can't handle you," Hyunjae snorted, even as a faint blush rose to his cheeks. "I was thinking maybe we were angels or devils in our past lives," 

"Ooh, now that's interesting," Juyeon chuckled. "Let's say that we were really angels and devils, which one do you think we were?" 

"Easy, I'm an angel and you're the devil," the elder shrugged. 

"And why is that?" 

"Because you're buff," he answered, turning around in his embrace and traced his hand along the younger's toned chest. "Devils tend to have bigger builds than angels, right?" 

"Yet I still have no control over you," Juyeon chuckled. "You may look like an angel now, but I think you were the devil," 

Hyunjae gasped, poking a finger on his chest accusingly. 

"How dare you say that the sweetest human being on earth that buys you ice cream every Sunday is the devil?" He joked. Juyeon snorts. 

"You're a little rebel, hyung," he said. "And we all know you're the one who has control over me, it's just fitting," 

"I don't accept that," Hyunjae huffed. "You look exactly like those devil manga characters. And plus, your hair is red. It's just fitting that you're the devil," Juyeon gaped at him disbelievingly, cupping his cheeks to the point of squishing them lightly in his big palms. 

_You_ were the one who dyed my hair red while I was sleeping a few days ago," he pointed out, a cute frown settling in between his eyebrows. "That's just pure evil, hence why you're the devil," 

"But you were gonna dye your hair anyways!" 

"In _blonde_ , not red, my little devil," he chuckled, ruffling his hair teasingly. "Just admit it, hyung," 

"No way! Take that back!" He demanded, tackling Juyeon over and started tickling him all over. 

"No! I'm not gonna surrender this time!" Juyeon resisted in between his laughs, trying to protect himself with his arms. "I'm sure if a devil or angel visits us right now they would also agree with me!"

"Hey!"

Little did they know, there was actually two figures floating outside their bedroom window, hands taut with one another. They both scoffed and snorted hearing the little squabbling, watching over the two figures with knowing expressions on their faces.

"You sure it's fine to stop here?" The one in white asked, but the smile on his face doesn't fade. "I'll get scolded by Jacob-hyung," 

"Oh shush, Kevin, I know you want to see Juyeon, too. Our jobs are done, anyways, why can't we spend a few extra minutes?" Says the one in black, his black wings flapping calmly behind him. 

"A brat as usual, huh, Hwall," 

"Shut up," 

"If only they remember what happened to them a few decades ago," Kevin chuckled. "How would they react?" 

"Nah, they don't need to," Hwall disagreed, but the fondest smile broke onto his face with that sentence. "They look happier like this, they deserve it," 

They watched a bit more as Juyeon finally turned the situation over, Hyunjae enveloped in his arms and struggling to get out. And as Juyeon shut him up with a sweet kiss, the smiles on their faces already said whatever feelings they have that can't be said out loud. 

They may not remember about their past lives, about who they were or what they went through, but one thing was certain. They are home. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for staying until the end! Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was gonna post this or not, because I feel it's a bit rushed as I'm writing this at 3 am, so my words may sound a bit.. incoherent? Doesn't make sense? I'm not sure anymore haha. I will have to re-read this in the morning and maybe edit some parts, but I really wanted to post this as a New Year's gift, so here you go!
> 
> Honestly, at first I was planning to write Hyunjae as the angel, based on his white clothes on their checkmate stage in road to kingdom, but then I was re-watching their Shangri-la stage and was so mesmerized over how Juyeon looks with his inky blue hair and silky white outfit, so I decided to make him the angel instead :)
> 
> This is my first proper attempt on writing an angst fic, so I'm not sure how it turns out, so please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! And Merry late christmas and Happy New year! :)


End file.
